The son of the late Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré inherited his dad's dazzlingly fluid phrasing but clearly also digs the fiery African blues rock of bands like Tinariwen. Here, he joins American peers for a crossover set that slays, primarily because the players come to his music, not the other way around. Derek Trucks weaves in some raga-scented slide ("Aigna"), and jazz-fusion jammer John Scofield induces Mahavishnu Orchestra flashbacks ("Gido"). The biggest surprise, however, is South African-American Dave Matthews, whose deep-blue vocal turn on "All the Same" is a seamless cross-cultural moment. Note to the Dave Matthews Band: Make Touré an offer, dudes.

Listen to "The Secret (feat. Ali Farka Touré):"

100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, Number 76: Ali Farka Toure

“1999”

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.